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Tuesday 12 December 2017

Should You Peel Your Fruits And Vegetables

Alina Petre MS RD writes:
"There’s no arguing that eating more fruits and vegetables can benefit your health. However, whether these fruits and vegetables are best consumed with or without skin is often up for debate. Peels are often discarded due to preference, habit or in an attempt to reduce exposure to pesticides. However, removing the peels may result in removing one of the most nutrient-rich parts of the plant. This article takes a look at the science to determine whether fruit and vegetable peels are best removed or not.


Peels Are Packed With Nutrients
Fruit and vegetable peels are rich in several nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Consuming the peel with the pulp can boost your total intake of these nutrients.

Peels May Help You Feel Fuller for Longer
Due to their high fibre content, fruit and vegetable peels may help reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer.

Peels May Help Prevent Some Diseases
Eating unpeeled fruits and vegetables may result in a higher intake of antioxidants. This may help fight free radical damage and ultimately reduce your risk of certain diseases.

Some Peels Are Hard to Clean or Inedible
Certain peels may be inedible, hard to digest, difficult to clean or have a tough texture. In such cases, peels may be best removed.

Peels May Contain Pesticides
Pesticide levels in fresh produce are tightly regulated. While peeling fruits and vegetables appears to be a slightly more effective way to remove pesticides than washing alone, the difference is likely too small to make a true difference.

Which Peels Are Safe to Eat?
Some peels are safe to eat, while others may not be. The lists below provide summaries of which common fruits and vegetables should be peeled and which do not have to be:
Inedible Peels
Avocado
Citrus fruits (grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, etc.)
Tropical fruits (banana, lychee, pineapple, papaya, mango, etc.)
Garlic
Hard winter squash
Melon
Onion
Edible Peels
Apple
Apricot
Asparagus
Berries
Carrot
Citrus fruits (grated or cooked)
Cherries
Cucumber
Eggplant/Aubergine
Grape
Kiwi
Mushroom
Parsnip
Peach
Pear
Pea
Pepper
Plum
Potato
Squash (if well-cooked)
Zucchini/Courgette

Summary
Some fruits and vegetables, such as pineapples, garlic and melons, are best peeled. Others, such as apples, eggplants/aubergines and plums, are best consumed with peels on.

The Bottom Line
Peels are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, making them one of the most nutritious parts of a plant. Naturally, some fruits and vegetables have tough peels that can be difficult to clean, hard to digest, bitter tasting or simply inedible. These peels are best removed and not eaten. However, most peels are edible. Therefore, it may be best to try eating your fruits and vegetables unpeeled whenever possible."
The above is only a snippet from Alina's article, you can read it in full, and with all relevant links here

Regular readers will know that a variety of articles and recipe ideas, are within this blog. It is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

If you wish to read more about the LCHF lifestyle, this post will help, please use this link here

All the best Jan

25 comments:

Valerie-Jael said...

An interesting read. I try to eat with peel wherever possible. Have a nice day, hugs, Valerie

eileeninmd said...

Hello, great info and post. Thanks for sharing the list.

Have a happy day and week ahead!

Out on the prairie said...

I leave them on in most cases

Gloria Baker said...

I love fruits and vegetables and use a lot for our food! Love this post really interesting!

Iris Flavia said...

I never understood the peeling - more work, less vitamins...

handmade by amalia said...

My mother never used to peel vegetables when the peel was edible, saying that most of the nutrients were in the peel, and we grew up eating them as part of the vegetables. But these days with all the emphasis on pesticides, it is not so clear anymore. I try to buy organic when possible.
Amalia
xo

Jo said...

Interesting. I must say that I do tend to eat peel wherever possible.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

My mother-in-law used to peel her tomatoes --which surprised me. I have never peeled tomatoes --and never will... I guess it's all about preference....

I do eat the potato skin on a baked potato and enjoy it... Many people do not...

Overall--I try to include peels when possible especially when a lot of the nutrition is in the peel.

Merry Christmas.
Hugs,
Betsy

David M. Gascoigne, said...

We err on the side of not removing the peel, but we wash and scrub the vegetables well so we hope that we remove all the pesticide residues.

Christine said...

wonderful list of edible peels!

Karen said...

Thank you for the lists. I have wondered about the benefits of peeling vegetables. Thank you for your kind comments on my blog. I hope you are having a wonderful December.

Phil Slade said...

That's very interesting, and of course useful. The one surprise to me is Kiwi skin as edible? We have 2 bags full from this week's Aldi but can't imagine eating the furry bits!

Elephant's Child said...

We leave as many fruit/vegies in their peels as possible.

Debbie said...

this was very interesting and oh so helpful jan. i always peel carrots, i don't feel like washing them really gets them clean!!!

i always worry about pesticides!!!

Margaret D said...

Don't peel many veggies, goodness is just underneath the skin but veggies washed well.

happyone said...

The peels that are edible I usually eat.

Martha said...

Great info. I try to eat as many of the peels as possible!

peppylady (Dora) said...

I was surprise that pototo peels was on the list of something to eat. Is that cooked or raw?
Coffee is on

Bob Bushell said...

I knew it, I have never peeled the wrong way, thanks Jan.

Prunella Pepperpot said...

Thank you for another great post Jan. I like to do as little as little as possible to my fruit and veg.
I would like to take this oppertunity to thank you for your posts and kind comments over the past year and I would like to wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas filled with peace, joy and happiness with a large sprinkling of good health thrown in. I look forward to joining you again in 2018 :)

baili said...

i used to hear mom and grandma that fruits must be washed but many should not be peeled out ,i can feel the difference when i eat cucumber but one bad experience gave me fright about this when i once cooked brinjal without peeling and got stomach ache to almost death .
chemicals used as spray make them so harmful now a days

Lowcarb team member said...

peppylady (Dora) said:

"I was surprise that pototo peels was on the list of something to eat. Is that cooked or raw?"

Thanks for your question - it's best to wash and cook potatoes.
I know some people prefer to have skin on for boiled potatoes, whereas others prefer to peel. It is always a personal choice, and to help you decide please have a read of this article.
Titled "How to Decide Whether or Not to Peel Potatoes" It goes into greater depth, for each type of cooking from eating new potatoes to baking potatoes.

"As with many edible plants, a lot of the nutrients we require are found in the peel of a potato. Knowing when to leave the peel in place and when to remove it is part of the useful knowledge every cook and chef needs to be aware of, before spending precious time peeling!" Please read more using this link
https://www.wikihow.com/Decide-Whether-or-Not-to-Peel-Potatoes

I hope you find this helpful.

All the best Jan

Magic Love Crow said...

Great article! Thanks Jan!

carol l mckenna said...

Wonderful reference article about vegetables and their properties ~

Happy Weekend,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Food write for us said...

thanks for the information